Design and function of closed seawater systems for culturing loliginid squids

Abstract

The life cycle of loliginid squids has been completed in recirculating seawater systems. Two systems were required: a 2 m diameter circular culture tank (CT) with adjoining 2 m circular filter tank (3000 liters total volume of natural seawater) for culture of hatchlings, 1–60 days old; and a 6 × 2·6 × 1 m raceway culture tank (RW) with a smaller adjoining rectangular filter tank (14 850 liters total volume of artificial seawater) for the grow-out of adults. Both systems were equipped with temperature control apparatus, modular filter units (particle filters and activated carbon), foam fractionators, biological filters (crushed oyster shell) and UV sterilizers. The systems carried low bioloads, < 1·0 g/m 3 and as high as 0·8 kg/m 3, respectively. Water quality was excellent: NH 4N was below 0·01 mg/liter in the CT and 0·10 mg/liter in the RW: NO 2N was below 0·01 mg/liter in the CT and 0·03 mg/liter in the RW; NO 3N was below 12 mg/liter in the CT and below 50 mg/liter in the RW; and pH was above 8·0 in both systems. The design of the systems proved to be behaviorally and physiologically suitable for squids and two species grew to adult size and produced viable young. These systems are compared to other squid maintenance and rearing systems and marine recirculating seawater systems.